Haidar and Majok power Lebanon past China in front of passionate fans

BEIRUT (FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Asian Qualifiers) - Ali Haidar and Ater Majok teamed up to carry Lebanon over China, 92-88, in a classic matchup at the Nouhad Nawfal Sports Complex.

This Asian Qualifiers contest played in front of more than 6,000 fans was close from opening tip to the final buzzer, featuring 17 lead changes and no more than a 9-point lead as its biggest spread.

Both the Cedars and the Chinese were nip-and-tuck all throughout, with 40 minutes not enough to resolve the outcome.

China seemed to have the game wrapped up after Ren Junfei gave them a 77-72 lead with under 90 seconds to go in the fourth period, but the Lebanese refused to give up. Amir Saoud set Majok up to trim the gap to just 3 points before a defensive stop allowed them one more crack at the basket. Majok came up big anew in the final sequence, grabbing Saoud's alley-oop pass, throwing it down, drawing the foul from Yu Dehao and hitting the free-throw to tie the game and send it to overtime.

Both teams continued their standoff in extra time, but the home team proved steadier in the clutch, forcing a couple of critical turnovers and hitting just enough free-throws as Lebanon ended up winning against China for the first time ever.

Haidar led the way for the Cedars with 26 points, 9 rebounds and 2 steals, while Majok added 17 points, 8 boards, 3 assists, 5 steals and 2 blocked shots. Ahmad Ibrahim also did well for the Lebanese with 19 points.

As for China, Zhou Peng's 22 points topped their scoring charts, with Wu Qian and Hu Jinqiu adding 16 and 14 points respectively. Top-billed floor general Guo Ailun was a non-factor in this game with 0 points and only 2 assists to show.

Lebanon fly out to Rotorua for a tough challenge against New Zealand in their next game, while China head home to host Jordan at the Wukesong Sports Center on 17 September.

FIBA